OvercOming PersOnal cOnstraints - The Flippen Group

watched as hot-air balloons of every color in the rainbow swelled with air
and began to fill the sky. Pilots and crews scurried about. Blasts from tiny
furnaces punctuated the morning bustle, and inflated balloons strained to
lift their passengers to the heavens, held fast as they waited for the ropes
to be removed.
One balloon caught my eye. Most people were running away from it
because it had become dangerous—the furnace had stopped firing hot
air into the balloon before it had fully inflated. Half filled and tethered by a
long rope, it was slowly arcing its way in a circle, knocking over everything
in its path like an enormous plush bowling ball. A crew member was
frantically struggling to untie a rope that wouldn’t budge while the balloon
wreaked havoc in slow motion. As we watched from a distance, the
balloon continued “butt bumping” along the field, as it pulled and lurched
against the restraints. I looked at Matthew and Micah and said, “Boys, I
know just what that feels like.”
“What do you mean, Dad?” Matthew asked.
“I know what it’s like—wanting to get off the ground, but tied to something,
and trying desperately to break free.” I went on to explain that I could
remember various times that unseen “ropes” kept me tied down when I
wanted to soar. Despite my mistakes and failures, I knew I was meant for
more. Cut me loose and let me go—I WANT TO FLY!
“I know what
it’s like —
wanting to get
off the ground,
but tied to
something,
and trying
desperately to
break free.”
Later, as we watched the balloons rise toward the heavens from a
mountaintop where we were sitting, I reflected further on the striking
similarities we share with them. I realized that we are all riding in a hot-air
balloon. And whether we recognize it or not, we are all in a race. Some of
us are still tied to the ground, looking for a way to get loose so we can take
flight. Then there are those who are lifting off but not gaining any altitude
because they are carrying too much weight. The ropes and weights hold
them down as they try to move up and out.
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Overcoming Personal Constraints
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